Dash LF#6 Irma & Bob and Mom & Dad

           I loved my brother’s descriptions (here) of a couple who had lived in my mom’s ward for most of Corey’s life. I had known the family who had lived in the house before them.  Lily Black and I were very close friends – until after she moved and we had lost touch. 

          I don’t know if I was still in high school when Howards moved into the house where Blacks had lived.  I don’t recall how many children they had as Blaine was the only one living at home.  He had an older brother who was serving a mission.  I met him for the first time when I was going to Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho.  He had come to drop something off.  I don’t even remember what.  I recognized him as I thought he looked so much like his dad.

          I’m guessing that Bob and Irma were in their sixties when they had moved into our neighborhood.  Over the years we learned a bit about where they were from, how they met, why Bob’s speech sounded as though he were struggling to get the words out.  Everybody in the ward had to have known that they were from Logan and had been raised in much different generation in which things were always a certain way and there was no change.  They missed seeing the world evolve around them.

          But oh, what love and devotion each of them had for the other. We especially noticed it with Bob after Irma had surrendered her mind to Alzheimer’s.  She became fragile and he kept her at home and doted on her.  I did not see them so much after I got married, but had heard about how each of them was doing.

          My own parents saw the world differently.  They knew life outside of Logan, Utah.  They experienced change.  They were aware of diversity.  And they loved each other every bit as Bob and Irma loved one another.  Many years before Bob took care of Irma with her unstable mind, my mom had catered to my dad’s needs as his brain stopped sending signals to control his muscles.  Both couples experienced unconditional love for one another – the kind of love I would be willing to adapt into my own marriage.  Making our love stronger with each passing year and giving to one another more than 100%. 

Labor Day Weekend

          Roland said he wanted to take Jenna to Universal this weekend as it was/is a three-day weekend and Jenna will be returning to school on Wednesday. What?!?!??  Never mind that we don’t have the money, but the idea of being in a car for over 24 hour drive and just one day . . . no thank you.  I don’t even like going down to Medford which is less than two hours away.  I think the car is to blame for my misshaped body.  Seriously.

          A friend suggested to me that I should go to the Circles of Sand in Bandon found here.  I thought it started on Saturday, but the two days left for the summer schedule were the first two days of September which didn’t start until today.

          She also told me to go to the “Washed Ashore Gallery” found here. Because Roland was looking for a get-away, I figured Bandon was closer.  We could go to the gallery on Saturday and stay over night so that we could go to Circles in the Sand today – which we did.  So even though all the activities and events we had come to visit in Bandon were free, the food and lodging was not.  I knew that we would overspend – but not near the amount of debt had we gone to Universal (if my pretzel body would have lived that long)

          I texted the primary president to tell her that I would be out of town and would not be there for church figuring Danny had the lesson – but they like to have two instructors sit with each class.  The primary president called me back right away to tell me I would be released today (I had made the request two months ago) and that Danny would become her new secretary and that her former secretary and her husband would be called to teach the Valiants and that they would start today.

          Whether I was released today or not, I don’t know. I do know that I will now be able to attend Relief Society and finally get to know the sisters who DON’T come to the activities.  Meanwhile I have at least three posts to share about just this weekend.  I don’t know when they will get written.  I am very tired right now and would like to go to bed.

Last Friday - Errands and Canyonville

          Summer is coming to an end and Jenna will be returning to school on Wednesday.  Her job at the blueberry patch has ended for this season.  On Friday morning Roland asked if I wanted to play a game.  It always surprises me when it is his idea.  He asked if Jenna had left the house and I said that she was still here and so he asked her to play also.

          First, we played Sequence.  Baulderdash is Roland’s favorite, but I think Sequence may be a close second.  We played two games.  I won the first and Roland won the second – but Jenna had gotten in two wins earlier in the week.  We then played a game of Blokus and then a never-ending game of Monopoly.  Neither Jenna nor I were willing to sell or trade specific properties to Roland and he was never fair about the amount anyway.  We would make jokes as we moved our pieces around the board.  It was one of the few times I have enjoyed myself while playing Monopoly

          Roland said he wanted to go to the bank and I wanted to go to the post office to mail a calendar to my sister – not that she needs a calendar this early or wouldn’t be able to purchase her own but I wanted her to have it.  Jenna and I had opened up a savings account for her and she asked if I could deposit some more money into her account.  I reminded her that we’d be going to Canyonville Pioneer Days later on.  Roland suggested that we just all go to the bank together and go to the celebration from there.          

 I knew she would be bored out of her mind and offered to let her run to the post office while I put her money in the bank.  I told her to pay the smallest amount, but she did not even ask.  She sent it priority mail which cost me more than I had anticipated.  I wish she would have handled it in a different way. Oh, well.  Kayla received the calendar on Monday. She is definitely worth the cost.

We went to the Pioneer Days in Canyonville and enjoyed ourselves. I saw a friend I had made through the school system and was able to introduce her to Roland and Jenna. It was a productive day entertainment-wise.

Let’s Go Bowling

          Though Roland did want to take care of some projects around the house and yard, he didn’t wish to spend his entire vacation laboring.  He wanted to spend money going to shows, seeing sights, or something else that would qualify as a vacation. Last week on Monday evening he decided that we should go bowling for family home evening.  We decided to go to Nickle Bowl – but along with half to most of the businesses in Myrtle Creek, Nickle Bowl is closed on Mondays.  Thus we went up to Roseburg.

          The last few times we’ve gone, I have always chosen a lighter ball.  My wrist doesn’t appreciate the extra weight of a bowling ball.  Also, the holes seem more spread out on the heavier balls and I have tiny hands. Whenever we bowl either Jenna and I will make the request to have bumpers as it will prevent us from getting from 10 – 20 gutter balls. 

Bowling always reminds me of other times I have spent at various bowling alleys. When my own family had gone bowling, I remember how Kayla would somehow put a spin on her ball and appear to be coaching it.  She would move her arm from one gutter to the other to guide the ball to move from one side to the other.  It somehow worked!  It was as though she were acting as a voodoo doll for her ball.  Even when she turned around, the ball would appear to do the same thing.  It was like an unbelievable magic.

          I don’t recall whether it had been Corey or Kayla, but one of them let the ball go before the pinsetter had finished – not that either one of them threw hard enough to damage it.  Or else the pinsetter would hit a wiggling pin and knock it down causing it to knock down other pins. For the most part, I have happy memories. 

When Roland and I were first dating, I remember Tony having set up ten pop bottles at the end of the hall.  I don’t recall what kind of ball he used to knock the bottles down.  I smiled at his desire to bowl. 

          PE was always a requirement as part of the high school curriculum.  There was always a choice offered for different physical activity classes.  For example, I had signed up for modern dance.  Corey took a class that introduced sports such as bowling and golf.  I don’t recall what the name of the class was as written in the catalog.  Mom and Corey always referred to it as “wimpy gym”.

January 2005

          When I was serving my mission in Woodbridge, there was one preparation day that my companion decided to go bowling.  We were horrible.  One member asked us how horrible.  I said that the best we did was 254 (or whatever it was) and she said that was great.  I said, “Not when you consider we played two games and I just totaled up all four scores together”

          We had the choice of bowling per game or bowling for an hour.  We saved three dollars by bowling for an hour and were able to get in two games each.  We made jokes about the lane itself #13 that had problems returning balls over 14 pounds.  Roland traded his 15 for a 13 which still got stuck, but Jenna’s did not get stuck and she had a 14.  I had a 10.  The final scores were:

Jenna: 91 and 102, 

Roland:  102 and 114

and my 80 and 85

          We got something to eat before returning back to Myrtle Creek.  Construction blocking where we needed to get on the freeway.  Rather than continue south, Roland went back north to get on before taking the ramp back south.

Change in the Weather

         

          Though it rained and the temperatures remained cooler during Roland’s staycation, it hasn’t been the same this week.  Tuesday got to 104 though yesterday was not as bad.  All day it appeared to be overcast with little promise of rain.  By 10:00 yesterday morning it was already too warm and the temperature rose up from there and didn’t start going down until after 8:00 – even though there was sign of actual raindrops that made a pathetic appearance and left again. There was a heaviness in the air that felt murky and seemed to distort my vision.

          I’ve taken so many pictures of the sky – trying to capture its brilliance.  I have two or three point-and-shoots that I use and of course, there’s my cell phone which is a flip phone and does NOT capture anything brilliant.  As I said before, I think a lot of it has to do with having the opportunity of seeing the sky this summer as we have not had a lot of summers when so much sky remained smoke-free.

          My allergies have been acting up – as though our yard has turned into a field of poinsettias or chrysanthemums – both of which I’m allergic to.  Actually, there are few plants that I’m NOT allergic to.  But I would say poinsettias and chrysanthemums are the worse.

        The forecast for the rest of the weeks has us in the mid ’80s and upper '70s.  I would like to see it kick down to 72 or below. I did not notice a breeze this morning in Tri City, but when I got to the pool (only about five minutes away) there was a wind blowing what felt more than just four miles per hour.  It knocked off my hat.  It felt nice, but not in the water.  I returned home without going to class.
        Jenna said it rained last night.  Apparently I missed it.  How is the sky able to send down rain when the air is so hot?  I hope that this morning's wind is a sign of cooling down the temperatures.

A Very Short Post

The movie we had seen on Wednesday was The Art of Racing in the Rain.  Good movie.  Lot of symbolism and parallels – and I know I didn’t get it all.  Funny how it had rained that day. It was only drizzling when we had left the house.  But as we neared Roseburg, the rain fell more rapidly. I had left my phone for Jenna and wasn’t able to call my friend who teaches the water fitness class to tell her to come join us if nobody showed.  She said she had one student attend.

          Wish we would have had the rain this week.  Yesterday was 104.  That is 34 degrees warmer than it should be.  I preferred last week’s weather to this week’s forecast.  Wicked weather.

Wednesday

          Every third Wednesday the Roseburg cinema reserves a theatre for the senior members of the community to see a recent feature.  The theatre doors open at noon during school but at 9:00 am during summer.  Roland decided we would head to the theatre, return to the house after the movie ended, collect Jenna and go and see Crater Lake. 

Before the movie started there was the education and ticket drawing.  My ticket (or Roland’s ticket – I had them both) won a coupon for Lighthouse Bakery and Café which neither of us had been to or had even heard of for that matter. 

Crater Lake got cancelled as it was pouring.  I was more excited about the rain than my disappointment in seeing the lake again (neither Jenna nor Roland have ever seen it in person).  Roland had heard that admission to the park would be free on Sunday.  By the time church had ended, Roland just didn’t feel like making the trip.  Thus they still have not seen it.  I don’t think Jenna cares however.

          We had also planned on going to the farmers’ market.  I don’t know whether it got cancelled or not.  We forgot about it.  We’ll have to try again next week.  Jenna announced that the activity for young women’s had been cancelled but I believe it was made up for the following night.

          We played three rounds of Sequence before Roland excused himself to research some business whatever.  Jenna and I played one round of Scene It.

Changing the Yard

Roland had asked the missionaries if they could assist on Monday.  As they had other obligations that day, they came to help on Tuesday.  Unlike the missionaries who had assisted with Jenna’s fort twelve years ago, the elders who are currently serving this area wore their street clothes as they were bond to get dirty.

        Jenna was so excited when we came home from church one day and discovered a waterfall in the backyard. Roland had diverted the water to run across the yard and toward the water drain.

  After a year his diversion was wiped out somehow and the water would flood our driveway whenever it would rain hard. The reason Roland wanted assistance was to cut into the clay (that is what lies beneath the hill in our backyard.  It isn’t the kind of dirt designed for growing plants) and fill up the hole so that the water doesn’t come into the yard at all.  Thus he built a rough version of a beaver dam to plug up the hole.  I didn’t get any pictures as it is still a walk up the hill.

Three of Danny’s brothers came to assist on Thursday.  Jenna took several pictures of them laboring (the eldest of the three worked harder than the other two put together and so there are more pictures of him; I did not ask permission to share any photos and that is why I post with backs as opposed to faces)

Last Week

            I would rather spend time with family than on the computer.  Some weekends I rely on whatever posts may be in my draft folder and figured it would be the same during Roland’s stay-cation and so I decided I would write things down and hope that I would remember what it is I thought of to post.

            I misplaced the little spiraled notebook that I thought was in the car but cannot find it.  I ended up writing down thoughts in three notebooks and back of envelopes (whatever happened to be handy at the time).  Roland’s vacation started last Monday. 

He had gone out to clean up the yard.  The skies were overcast and the temperature was inviting.  I went out to assist while it was still nice – surprised that he was out there in the coolness as he tends to wait for the absolute hottest part of the day.

            We cleaned up the yard a bit.  He pulled down some decayed trees and we cut up a hose to fill our garbage can.  Amber wandered into the yard (I don’t know who the cat belongs to or if it even has a name, but I call it Amber because that is the color of her eyes) and he told me that we had one food left to give her.

            Roland is kind as he is thoughtful about feeding the birds and stray cats that come around.  We have purchased birdseed and cat food.  He is allergic to feathers and I have been allergic to cats.  The cat food box was empty and Roland told me to give the cat some milk.  I didn’t give it a lot.  I don’t think adult cats are supposed to have milk.  I think she’s somewhere between the adult and kitten stage.

            It was hot in the house or maybe just felt that way because it was in the upper 50’s outdoors and probably in the upper 60’s or 70’s inside.  I didn’t think turning the air conditioner would be useful but Roland insisted.  So we left the air on so that it would be cool when we went back inside.

            I don’t know how long we worked before Roland decided to call it quits.  We went inside and watched TV.  I started to play games on a kindle I had inherited from a friend who had upgraded.  Thus far I have only used it to play games.

            Roland surprised me when he offered to play some board games with me.  I think we were playing Scrabble when Jenna returned. 

Homographs M-W

A mat is a tangle or snarl in one’s hair.  But a mat is also a small rug.

          I saw Matt’s matted hair when he stood on the mat.

Mum is a type of flower.  Mum is a name I might call my mother.  When you are saying, “mum’s the word” to someone, you are asking to keep a secret.

          My mum is allergic to mums.  But mum’s the word.

A pool is a place to swim.  A pool table is a game table with cue sticks and balls.  A pool of money is generally a collection of money for a charity or a bet.

          Let’s pool our money together to purchase a pool table to use for the lifeguards to use when they are taking a break from the public pool.

To pry something means to use a crowbar or other device to assist in lifting something.  Pry can also mean eavesdropping or snooping.

          He was caught prying (or watching) someone trying to pry open a box.

A pupil is the black circle in the center of one’s eye.  Pupil is also another name for student.

          I heard the pupil had to have his pupils dilated.

Spring is a season that brings flowers, blossoms, pollen and new growth.  It also brings on many allergies for many people.  A spring is a coiled wire used to make a kind of bounce.

To steep tea means to let the bag sit in the water for a while in order to get more flavor.  A steep road is one that goes up on an angle.  Steep prices are the result of doctor bills among others.

To swab a deck means to mop or clean it.  A swab is a stick with two small cotton balls fastened at each end.  A swab is generally used to clean ears but can also be used to dab paint.

          To swab a deck with a cotton swab would take a very long time.

There are many trains.  1) a bunch of cars hooked up to a locomotive and use a rail for transportation; 2) teach; 3) a long (and unnecessary) extended part of a bridal gown that makes it somehow fancier.

Wind is a homophone with two pronunciations. The "i" is short when saying the word that means air blowing but "i" is long when referring to an action of turning a key in order to make something move (like this toy mouse)

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Homographs B-L

I see a bat fly overhead.  I can’t seem to swat it with my baseball bat.

          A bat is a mamel but also an instrument used to hit a ball.

I saw the baseball batter lick the batter from the bowl.

          A batter is a person who hits the ball while batter is a raw mixture of ingredients that may be turned into cookies or cake.

A box is a kind of container but to box is to punch someone.

I’ll need that box for boxing these boxing gloves.

I need a dab of paint in order to finish my picture of you dabbing.

          A dab is a tiny bit but a dab is a movement sometimes associated with hiphop (see here)

          A gag is a short joke.  To gag gives the appearance of  one starting to vomit.

          Foil is a kind of wrap associated with food.  To foil is to prevent – like Snidely Whiplash being “foiled again”.

          An iris is a flower.  Iris is the colored part of the eye.

          A lap is a segment.  A lap is a place to sit.  Animals drink by lapping their tongues. 

After running six laps, I asked if I could sit in your lap and rest a while. I would rather drink water out of a glass than lap it up from a bowl

When I say a light went on in my head, I mean I have an idea or I have figured something out. 

Light also means weight that is opposite of heavy.  For example, an elephant is very heavy, but feathers are light.

           Light also refers to a shade or hue of a color. 

I have a lot of books to return to the library; I hope the parking lot isn’t full.

A lot implies many but a lot is also a piece of land.

I can throw a line out into the water and hope I catch a fish.  I can say a line in a school play.  I can draw a straight line with the assistance of a ruler.

The ruler that I use to measure a line is not the same as a ruler of a country.

What's Beneath?

I remember when we decided to take down the paneling to bring more light into the Kearns house.

Beneath the dark paneling was a mural of a corn field.  What had possessed somebody to put that there in the first place?

When Richard and took the boys to work on a house he had purchased to flip, our youngest found some savings bonds hidden beneath the floor.

We can hide beneath the covers or find other treasures beneath the bedding (remote controls for instance).  Treasures can be found beneath so many surfaces. I have discovered treasures beneath my seat or beneath that pile of rubble in my closet.

I have discovered autumn leaves trapped beneath soggy snow.  Can you find what’s beneath the ocean’s surface?  Do you associate with all kinds of people or do you feel there are some that are beneath your level?

We have had people crawl beneath our house before to install cable, check for leaks, and fix the flooring from beneath.

There are pipes beneath my house which carry water to and from where I need it to.  Some areas have started using a system in which the power lines are beneath the ground instead of overhead.

When Sunny got married, she dressed her bridesmaids in pink taffeta. I felt like I had billow pads beneath my arm pits.

Sometimes I wear my swim suit beneath my clothes. 

Often my socks slide off my ankles and get trapped beneath my feet in whatever shoes or boots I’m wearing.  I can often hide things beneath my coat.

When you are canning, you need to turn the jar upside down to make sure that there is no air between the lid and your food product.

Sometimes I will try to hide my laughter when I think that something is funny but I know it’s not an appropriate time to laugh (like at church, for instance)

My blog is called Beneath the Wraps.